There are some movies we stumble upon on OTT and wonder why they didn’t work at the theatres. One such film that deserved so much more is our recommendation for your weekend watchlist.
‘The Sky Is Pink’ is a gem. There are no two ways about it. The Shonali Bose(Margarita with a Straw) directorial had an underwhelming run at the box office despite decent promotions and an ensemble cast. However, it was upon its Netflix release that people reciprocated the love the makers had when they made the film.
Starring Priyanka Chopra, Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim(Secret Superstar) and Rohit Saraf(Mismatched), the movie is based on the real-life story of motivational speaker Aisha Chaudhary, who died in 2015 when she was 18. While the plot is saddening, it is how the story has been told that makes the film the beauty it is. Starting with Aisha(Zaira) narrating the love story of her parents lovingly called Moose(Priyanka) and Panda(Farhan), the movie in its first moments informs us it’s not a dark and simple tragedy drama.
Aisha is depicted as a funky teenager who was born with a severe medical condition. After a bone marrow transplant cured her, she was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, a side-effect of the chemotherapy she underwent and it shortened her life. Not the type of person to feel sorry for herself, the film is an empowering story and a celebration of her life.
With brilliant performances and skilled direction, the film is all heart. It doesn’t try to be preachy or overdramatic and doesn’t become too raw either. It is at its core, a story of death and its acceptance. Moose, Panda, Aisha, and brother Ishaan(Saraf) are all written as grounded and real, like somebody we may have met or know. With 2022 coming to an end, check out this film on this final weekend of the year. This one will leave you heartbroken and fulfilled at the same time.